Rotary internal-combustion engine



Aug. 24 192s. 1,596,928

` -J. E. GOALEN ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed oct. 14, 1924 2 sheets-sheet 1 Igl.

31a/vento@ Aug. 24,1926. .Y 1,596,928

- J. E. GOALEN ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE *15 rection.

`Afurther object of this invention. is the' "atented Aug. 24, '1926. l

l'JNiTlszD.STATES- .PATENT OFFICE.

`*ROTARY INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENQINE. l

Appucauqn med october 14.,.1924..` serial no. 74s,56s.

and rendering the force of thev explosion en-` tirely effect-ive to move the rotor in yone di` provision of novel fuel control means for ro-v tary internal combustion engines.

Other objects and advantages of this .in-

20 vention will be apparent during thexcourse of the following detailed description.

In theaclcompanying drawings,v forming a. part of this specification, and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding partsthroughout the several views, Figure 1 is a longitudinal .cross sectional view' taken through the improved internal combustion engine, showing operating details thereof.

Figure/2 is a crossvsectional view taken transversely of the section illustrated in'Figure 1, showing certain details of the invention in side elevation.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional .view taken substantially o'n the line 3-3 of,l Figure 2.

In. the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration #is shown only the preferred embodiment offthis invention, the letter A may generally designate the improved internal combustion engine, which may include a stator `B; rotor construction C; and fuel and explosion controlling means D.

The stator B preferably consists of the housing 15, formedof sections 16 and 17 which are annularly bolted together, as at 19, to provide --the 'substantially' cylindrical shaped compartmentI 22 within which the rotor C is disposed. The section 1-6 and 17.

are similarly formed, and are bo ted on the medial line of the housing 15, as to permit the easy assemblage ofthe piston and rotor arrangement.l Hubs 23 and 24 are provided on the housing sections 16 and 17 respecv tively, concentric with the compartment 22,

with pa'ssageways therethrough for rotatably ,lb receiving the shaft 25 of the rotor C, as will be subsequently described.

A The housing 15, therebelow, provides ai 4base or supporting platform 27, .parts of.y

which base/areY provided on each of the sec-l 50 t1ons 16 and 17, and' of as light a construction 'as possible, preferably being of -cast metal and of sufficient area to properly supportl the engine and permit its bolting or other attachment to a supporting surface or foundation. y

The housing 15 provides anpexhaust passageway 30 tangentially arranged with respect to the compartment 22, having commu- `nication with said compartment by a seriesv of openings 31 in the wall which forms the compartment 22. /This passageway 30 leads downwardly through the base 27, to any approved location, such as is illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawin s. At the opposite side 75 of the center of the ousing 15l from the exhaust passageway 30, a reservoir 35 is'provided in the base 27, adapted tolreceive a f body of lubricating oil 36. The wall 37 of the housing 15 which forms the compart- 30,

ment 22 is provided with a series of openings 38 which communicate with the reservoir compartment in which the oil 36 is disposed, and these perforations continue through the wall 37 at the lowest part of the compart- 85 ment 22, so that a small portion of the bodj)7 of oil may enter the compartment 22 and be splashed or pickedI up bythe rotor mechanism as the same moves within thecompartment 22. wardly aboutl one side of the wall 37, so that any excess lubricant picked up by the .rotor 4may drop back into the reservoir 35. A- filler construction 40, preferably of tubular for` mation, is provided in the housing 15, immediat/ely above the base 27, as is illustrated in Figure 1 of thedrawings. T he oil level may be determined by any. suitable float mechanism 42, as is illustrated. in `Figurel of the drawings.

The housing or stator .B preferably in-Q 'cludes the radially extending cooling vancs or flanges 45, althoughin lieu. of an air cooled engine the same may be water cooled,

` and appropriate water manifolds orv jackets,

provided for the housing about the compartment 22 within which the rotor operates. IA screw threaded opening 46'* 1s provlded The openings 38 continue up- 90v through the housing 15, in any approved location, adapted to receive a spark plug 46 v of any approved type, for the purpose of in the hubs 23 and 24,"exten'ding concentri cally through the compartment 22. With# in the compartment 22 the rotor includes the shaped piston structure 50, which includes a central portion 51 keyed,. as at 52,

four: pistons 53, 54, 55 and 56 radiating from "the shaft andfrigid with the portion 51.

These pistons are preferablyl 90 apart, and are substantially in the form of the conven- 'tional horseshoe, the same being grooved in:

wardly of the outer surfaces thereof tol support the substantially Ushaped piston rings 58, as illustrated in the drawings. These piston rings 58 at the outer circumferences of the pistons slide inabutment with the inside surfaces defining compartment 22. Within the compartment'22, and preferably fixed with the shaft 25 it is preferred to provide a pair of plates 60 'and 61, at opposite sidesofthe compartment 22, concentric ,with the shaft 25, and the inner end of the pistons and ythe piston rings -supported thereby engage the facing surfaces of these plates 60 and 61 in a fluid tight engagement.

The rotor C furthermore includes in each of the 90 spaces between adjacent pistons amemberv 65. .`Four of these members are, of course, provided, and they are pivotally mounted upon .pins or shafts 66 which are Itransversely carried by the plates 60 and 61. The members may appropriately be termed paddles, and they are, somewhat in @he form of the pistons of the rotor,being 'substantially horseshoe-shaped in formation, and circumferentially' grooved to receive substantially U-shaped packing rings 69,

` Due to the eccentric pivoting ofthe paddles in the stator casing, a leak-proof connection could not be maintained without the use of rings 69, which are of the conventional ex-` pailsion type. and -compensate for such eccentric r mountin of the paddles. members 65 are hmited in the amplitude of movement toward rearwardly adjacent pistons, bymeansfof an abutment 70 provided on vthe facing side of each rearmos't adja# cent piston, providing a radial surfacee71 `assisting in rotation of the 'against which the members may rest during rotation of the piston mechanism, and until the membersare displaced in succession for the purpose of. compressing fuel charges and rotor in the proper directions.

On the rearmostiface of each of thepiv oted ,members 65, an abutment 75 is proard or post 82 appropriately ailixed to the to the 'shaft 25, and preferablyl includingg housing ,15 in any approved manner, up-

These.

vided, which provides a surface 76 tangentially arranged with respect to the shaft 25,

yand providing a notch 77 therein, A plunger mechanism 79 to be subsequently described cooperates Lover 4this tangenially disposed surface 76 and in the notch 77 to properly move the member 65 for the purpose of compressing a fuel charge justbefore the power stroke.

Referring to the mechanism D, the same preferably includes a rocker arm 80, pivot'ally mounted intermediate its ends on. 'a

shaft 81; this shaft being carried by a standl wardly thereon. This rocker arm is of Y-shaped formation, including the bifurcated end providing arms 83 and 84, respecvtively operatively connected with the plunger mechanism 79 and fuel pump .86. At the atl opposite side of the'shaft 81 the 'rocker 80L l includes the arm v87. l The rocker armI 80 is of course synchronously operated with the shaft 25, and is connected thereto in any approved manner. The preferred method of constructioncontemplates the provision of a casing. 88 laterally of the housing 15, providing a com partment 89 adapted to receive a body of Iuybrica-nt, if desired. Filler and drain structends for connection to the outer end of the rocker arm portion 87 The hous1ng15 upwardly thereon supports a tubular extension 100, with a valve .seating ang 101 therein, upon which a check valve structure 102 is seated, spring operated so that the passageway 103 through the extension vis normally closed from vthe compartment 22 of the housing 15. Up-

Wardly on the extension 100 the pump casing 103 is detachably mounted, through which an intake conduit 104 communicates,` above the check valve 102.v This intake conduit 104 leads. from any suitable carbureting device, and may have a checkl orcontrol valve 105 therein, for the purpose of regulating the flow of the fuel from the carbureting' casing 103. The pump 86 is in the form of a piston, and operates in the compartment. 106 above theintake l104, and of course above the check valve 102, so that upon rocking-of 'the arm 80, the piston or pump -arrangement 86 will compressr the vaporized fuel and unseat the valve 102 for the purpose of forcing device into the compartment 106 of the fuel into the stator compartment 22 between any piston and its cooperating member 65, which happens to be in alignment with the passageway 103.

Immediately adjacent 'the extension 100, and parallel therewith, is an extension 110,

. Within which the plunger 79 is reciprocably of the members 65, as the same come into operating engagement incident to rocking of the arm 80.

In operation, it is to be noted that'the rotor andthe plunger and fuel inlet mechanisms "are synchronously operated, incident' to their connection with the shaft 25. The

-fuel will be inlet through the passageway 103a in proper timing with operation of the rotor mechanism, and permit a sufficient quantity of the vaporized fuel to pass as a charge into the compartment between any pistons and its adjacent member 65, which as above mentioned, happens to be in -alignment with the passageway 103a. In thls fuel receiving position the member 65 is in abutment against the inclined face 71 of the next rearwardly positioned piston. As the rotor continues to operate, after having received a fuel charge the member 65 in the tcompartment which has received the fuel charge passes the plunger mechanism 79, and immediately having passed the same the'plunger mechanism 7 9'desc'ends so that the roller 113 rolling against the inclined face 76 will force the pivoted member 65 forwardly off its abutment 70, as is illustrated in Figure 1,. and compressing the fuel charge immediately forward of this member 65, which has been moved by the plunger 79. 'fIhis compression is caused because of the fact that the member 65 is moved by theplunger 79 i faster than the rotation of the pistons. 'As

this compression takes place, and when it has f received the. vmaximum compression effect, the spark from the plug 46 ignites the fuel charge, and the rotor receives the force of the explosion to impel the same.y The force of the explosion may only be exerted in one direction about the shaft axis, because` of the fact that when the explosion takes place the' plunger roller 113 still is resting on the' abutment'7 5, preferably in the notch 77, of the inclined surface 76, and holding'the mem.- ber against movement counter to the'direction of rotation ofthe rotor. The exploding gases incident to their expansion will then, of course, force the rotor in the .clock-wise' direction illustrated in the drawlngs. j

After the explosion has taken place in the compartment between any piston andits col operating ipivot-ed member 65, the exploded gases havi g expanded to permit the lwork to be performed, the member 65 of course moves back against its abutment of the adjacent rearmost piston, and in this position the exploded gases are permitted to exhaust through the openings 31 and into the exhaust passageway 30. As the rotor istons move past the exhaust openings 31, t ey will pick up a quantity of the oil which is in the lowermost portion of the compartment 22, for the purpose of -furnishing lubricant to the sliding surfaces of the pistons in the housling 15. Any excess lubricant caught up by t 1e pistons and the ivoted members 65, will be permittedto dram through the ,openings- 38 which are provided for a consider-` able distance upwardly along one side of the housing 15,'and as illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings.

The outer end of the shaft 25ma be suitably provided with av pulley whee 120, for connection to a generator or the like, and a gear 121 may be providedA for connection to suitable distributing mechanism. Other mechanisms may be provided for the internal combustion engine, in accordance with well known construct-ions, and the carbureting device may be of any approved character, suitable to provide a vaporized fuel to I the intake 104. i

From the foregoing description of this in j feeding of fuel into the rotor mechanism y compartment, in advance of the power stroke, so that a quick succession of power strokes may take place on the rotor mechanism. Of course, any number of the devices Imay be employed in connection with the shaft 25. y

Various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts of the improved internal combustion engine herein shown and described, mayl made to the form of the inventiontwitho 1t departing from the spirit of the. same or the scope of the claims.

I claim: l

1. In an engine ofthe class described theN cpmbination of a housing providing a compartment therein, rotor means in said compartment providing aplurallty of fuel receivlng chambers, p ivoted members in each blades operating in said compartment to subdivide the compartment into a plurality of non-communicating chambers, members independently pivoted in said chambers between the adjacent blades and extending transversely of their respective `chambers to subdivide said chambers, said members acting in piston-like manner to prevent communi-- cation ofthe spaces at opposite sides thereof, fuel inlet means to supply fuel to said chambers between a movable member iii the chamber and an adjacent blade. means for independently moving said members at predetermined times toward adjacent blades to compress fuel charges therebetween, and

' 30 means for exploding said fuel charge when so held under compression.l

3. In a rotary internal combustion engine the combination of a stator providing a com- J partment therein, rotor means including piston blades operating in the compartment, pivotedrpiston-like members operating in said compartment rotatable with said rotor and pivoted with respect to the piston blades of the rotor, said piston-like members having 40 abutments thereon provided with tangentially arranged surfaces with respect to the rotor axis, and plunger means operating in said stator over'said tangentially arranged surfaces of the piston members to move the piston members relative to adjaentopiston' blades.

^In an internal combustion engine the combination of a stator providing a substantially circular compartment therein, rotor means including a shaft and radially e`xtending piston-like blades operating in the wards "adjacent piston blades to compress av fuel charge and hold the piston like'me'm- ,bers against rotation in one direction, and means for 'exploding the fuel charge when so compressed to permit the force of the ex- .extending radially therefr plosion to be exerted `on` the'pistonblade to send the rotor in one direction about its axls.

' 5'. In'a device of the class described -combination of a stator housing including a vcompartment,a rotor in said compartment including a driven shaft and piston 'blades' the compartment into chambers, members pivotally carried in said chambers movable with respect to the piston blades and movable with said rotor about the shaft axis, means for supplying a fuel charge into each chamber at the proper time between a piston blade and its .adjacent pivoted member, plunger means synchronously operated from said rotor to move the member for compressin a fuel charge between the same and an adjacent piston blade, and means for 'exploding 'a fuel charge when so compressed.

6. In a rotary internal combustion2 engine the combination of a stationary housing providing a compartment therein, rotor means for the compartment including a driven shaft and radially extending blades acting as pistons in said compartment to subdivide the same into chambers, a pivoted piston-like member in each of said thef to subdivide chambers between adjacent iston blades connected for rotation with said rotor shaft and movablewith respect to adjacent piston blades, fuel regulating mechanism synchronously operated from the rotor shaft for directingJ fuel into a proper chamber between a piston blade and its adj acent-pistonlike menber,.and'means synchronously oper-7J 7 In a 'rotary internal combustion engine the combination of a stationary housing providing a compartment therein, rotor means `fon the compartment includingv a driven ember toward an adjacent pisshaft and radially extending blades acting u as pistons in said compartment to subdivide thesame into chambers, a -pivoted pistonlike member in each of said chambers between adjacent iston blades connected for rotation with sald rotor shaft` and movable with respect to adjacent piston blades, fuel regulating mechanism synchronously. operated from the rotor shaft for directing fuel into a vproper chamber be'tween a pistonv 'blade and its adjacent piston-like member,

means vsynchronously operated from said rotor shaft for moving the piston-like member toward an adjacent piston blade-to compress a fuel charge therebetween and hold lthe piston-like member against movement in direction counter tothe direction ofrotation of said rotor, means vfor exploding said fuel charge when so compressed, and means for 4ses chambers connected with said rocker arm,

pivoted piston-like members in said chambers movable with said rotorv and movable with respect to adjacent blades, and plunger mechanism operable preferably connected to said rocker arm for extension' 'into Said compartment at predetermined times for engaging said pistonglikev membersl and moving them towards an adjacent piston-like member to hold said piston-like member against movement counter to .thedirection of movement of the rotor.

9. In an internal combustion engine .of the class described the combination of a sta.- tor providing a compartment therein, a rotor in the compartment including a'shaft with a plurality of radially extending piston blades subdividing the compartment 1nto a plurality of chambers, a pivotedmember in each chamber movable withythe rotor and movable with respect to adjacent piston blades in the chamber, means providing an abutment on the rear surface of each of said piston-like members having an inclined surface tangentially arranged with the rotor axis, means for inlet of fuel into said chambers between a piston lblade and adjacent piston-like member of each of said chambers, a plunger, means connectin the plunger with said rotor so that it will synchronize with movement thereof and at predetermined periods extend tangentially into the compartment 'of said housing for operating over the tangentially arranged surface of the `abutment; of apiston-like member whereby to move the latter toward a forward piston V member for the purpose of compressing the fuel charge in the chamber between sai-d piston-like member being operated on and said piston blade,.means for exploding a fuel charge under such compression and means for exhausting exploded gases from said chambers. l,

-10. In a motorjof the'class described the combination of a stator 'housing including a compartment, arotor in said compartment including a drivenushaft and piston blades extending radially therefrom to subdivide the compartment into chambers, pistonlike members pivotally carried lin said cham` bers movable with respect to the piston A blades and movably connectedv with said rotor for movement vabout the shaft axis with the rotor, means for supplying afuel charge into the chamber at the vproper time between a piston blade and its adjacent pivoted member, means for limiting the movement of each pivoted member with respect to its adjacent rear piston blade so that the same will always be in a spaced relation, cam means carried by the pivoted members, and plunger means operable in synchronism with the rotor yto enterV the chambers and engage said cam means at the proper-'time to move a pivoted member towards an adjacent blade for compressing a fuel charge between the same and said adjacent piston blade, and means for exploding the fuel charge when so compressed and while the j v pivoted member is held by the plunger means against movement in one direction.

f rJAMES E'. GOALEN. 

